What is Multicasting?
With this new feature, sellers can expand their reach and increase engagement on their live streams by broadcasting to multiple platforms simultaneously. When going live on Whatnot from an iOS device or desktop, enabling Multicast will send the stream directly to Youtube Live, Facebook Live, or Twitch. (Note: Live shows set to private will not have the option to multicast. Android streams are currently not supported).
How do I connect my accounts with Whatnot?
When you have access to this new feature, you will see a new in-app experience to connect your accounts to your Whatnot account. Each supported platform (Youtube Live, Facebook Live, Twitch) has a different connection experience.
In the current version:
- Youtube will allow you to log-in & connect your account directly.
- Facebook will allow you to log-in & connect your account directly.
- Twitch will request a stream key.
What is a stream key?
A stream key is a special code that allows us to communicate with a streaming platform and send your video content to be live streamed. Each streaming platform has its own unique stream key, so in order to link Whatnot with your preferred platform, you need to find this key in your account settings. It’s best practice to never share your stream key with anyone else. Doing so could compromise your channel.
Whatnot Multicasting Best Practices
- We recommend using an iPhone to manage your Whatnot stream and a secondary laptop / desktop device to read / interact with comments on Youtube, Facebook, or Twitch.
- Whatnot Multicasting currently does not have chat aggregation. We recommend using multiple devices currently to be able to engage with any watchers on other platforms and encourage them to join your Whatnot shows.
- We recommend muting audio across these other tabs to limit echo and sound interference.
- We recommend engaging with your viewers from these other platforms by answering any questions, shouting out their username, and encouraging them to join your Whatnot show to transact.
- While using Whatnot multicast, please recognize that you are responsible for monitoring your music usage and understanding third-party platform policies, as they may differ between platforms and may impact your account.
Multicasting to Youtube Live
- Whatnot supports Youtube multicasting by logging into your Youtube account.
- Within the Whatnot app, schedule your show. When you are about to start your show, you will see the following modal after clicking “Start Show”
- Select “Multicast to other platforms”.
- Select “Link account” for Youtube, which will open up the log-in flow from Google to connect your account. Complete the log-in requirements from Google.
- Once your Youtube account is connected, it will display as “Active” within Whatnot.
- When selecting “Go Live” on the “Do you want to start this livestream?” screen, you will start your show and start streaming to any platform that’s labeled as “Active”
- Selecting the arrow next to active allows you to toggle each platform on or off, depending on your choice.
- We automatically add the links to your profile and referral link within the Youtube Live description to make it easier for Youtube viewers to join your stream. In order to have link access within Youtube, please review Youtube guidelines here.
Multicasting to Facebook Live
Note: These instructions apply to both desktop and iPhone. We are currently investigating issues with multicasting and Facebook groups. We will update this article once it is solved.
- Whatnot supports Facebook Live multicasting to a profile, page, or group by logging into your Facebook account.
- Within the Whatnot app, schedule your show. When you are about to start your show, you will see the following modal after clicking “Start Show”.
- Select “Multicast to other platforms”.
- Select “Link account” for Facebook, which will open up a second modal that lets you choose whether you want to link your profile,
group, or page.
Connecting your Facebook Profile
- From the Facebook Live modal, tap on Facebook Profile, which will open up the log-in flow from Facebook to connect your account.
- On the Facebook log-in flow, make sure to choose “Public” visibility from the dropdown if you want your Whatnot multicasts to be viewable by all.
- Once you finish the log in flow on Facebook, you should see your profile marked as connected and active.
Connecting your Facebook Page
- From the Facebook Live modal, tap on Facebook Page, which will open up the log-in flow from Facebook to connect your page.
- On the Facebook log-in flow, make sure to choose “Public” visibility from the dropdown if you want your Whatnot multicasts to be viewable by all.
- [desktop users only] If you’re on desktop, you will also see an additional dialog asking you to choose which pages you want to share with Whatnot. Here, please select the page(s) that you intend to multicast to.
- Once you are logged in, the Facebook Live modal will display a list of pages, which when you tap on it, will bring up a modal to select one page to ultimately multicast to.
- Select the page that you want to multicast to, and tap on Connect
- Once you do so, you should see your page marked as connected and active.
Connecting your Facebook Group
- From the Facebook Live modal, tap on Facebook Group, which will open up the log-in flow from Facebook to connect your group.
- On the Facebook log-in flow, make sure to choose “Public” visibility from the dropdown if you want your Whatnot multicasts to be viewable by all.
- Once you are logged in, the Facebook Live modal will display a list of groups that you are an admin for, which when you tap on it, will bring up a modal to select one group to ultimately multicast to.
- When you tap on a group, we will check for whether Whatnot is installed on the group. This is a one-time requirement from Facebook without which your multicast cannot work. If you see the “Add Whatnot to your Facebook Group” link, follow the steps in the “Adding Whatnot to your Facebook Group” section below to enable the “Connect” button.
- Once you add Whatnot the group, the Connect button on the Facebook Live modal will now be enabled. Tap on the button to finish linking your group.
- Once you do so, you should see your group marked as connected and active.
Adding Whatnot to your Facebook group
Note: You will need a desktop computer to finish these steps.
- Go to your group
- On the left sidebar, scroll down and select “Group settings”
- Scroll down to the bottom and tap on the Pencil Icon near “Apps”
- Tap “Add Apps”
- On the left sidebar, search for “whatnot”
- Tap on the Whatnot result and then on “Add”
- Whatnot is now added to your group, which should allow the multicast to work correctly.
Multicasting to Twitch
To get your Twitch stream key:
- You must enable 2-Factor Authentication before you can access your Stream Key. Enable 2FA at twitch.tv/settings/security underneath Security & Privacy.
- Retrieve your stream key from the Creator Dashboard (Settings icon -> Stream). At the top of the page, you’ll see your Primary Stream Key.
- Confirm that your account has low latency selected.
- At this point, you should copy your stream key and paste it into your Whatnot app. Select Multicast to other platforms, and select Twitch.
- Within this connect menu, input your stream key.
Viewer Experience
- Viewers who are watching on Youtube, Facebook, or Twitch will see your iPhone stream with an rotating ticker overlay on top that includes your username
- When you perform a giveaway on Whatnot, the overlay will change to include a QR code to encourage viewers to come to your stream
- Viewers who are watching your stream on Whatnot will see no changes
Managing your Multicast
- When you are live with a multicast, a pill on the top left of your screen shows your active platforms
- Tapping on this pill opens up the multicast control panel which allows you to toggle different platforms on or off
- When changes are made to the multicast menu, the seller can confirm updates by selecting “Apply”
- These settings and controls are also available within Live Options or Seller Tools underneath the “Multicast” option
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Articles in this section
- Premier Shop Program Overview
- About Beyond the Con: NYCC
- Show management for Whatnot Sellers
- Seller and Moderator Livestream Commands
- Inviting a Co-host to your Live
- Multicasting on Whatnot
- Restarting a Livestream
- Raiding Another Show
- Running a Giveaway During a Livestream
- Using Two Devices While Live